It is a known process to implant electronic identification carriers such as microtransponders or chips to identify animals, for which purpose the electronic identification carrier is inserted under the animal's skin tissue. This is done with a needle in which the transponder is arranged displaceably. The needle is first introduced under the skin tissue. The needle is then slowly withdrawn; a mandrel present inside the needle and displaceable with respect to it causes the transponder or chip to be inserted into the animal's flesh as the needle is withdrawn. The needle is therefore moved with respect to the essentially stationary mandrel. A pistol-like handle can be used for this purpose, as indicated for example by GB 2 190 590 A. At the moment the identification carrier is inserted, the front tip of the mandrel is in or in front of the needle opening, so that the mandrel comes into contact with the living being's tissue or blood. This also creates the risk of inflammation of the tissue.
Needles for inserting solid or semisolid preparations under the skin of a human being are indicated, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,304, U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,234, or EP 0 255 123 A2. EP 0 304 107 A1 describes an injection needle for inserting an implant. The needle is designed for one-time use.
The needle, which can be attached to the handle, is always in a sterile package (known in the art), which when the needle is used must be torn open so the needle can then be removed. Depending on the kind of package, a relatively large amount of packaging material occurs relative to the size of the needle. Packaging and unpacking are also laborious.